Parenting in the Digital World

The Real World

I’ve been reading more and more criticism about Apple’s announcement on January 19. The critics are the pundits – those well respected names in the educational reform/tech world. The criticisms  vary, but focus on a few similar themes:

  • Apple didn’t revolutionize education
  • The tools are too proprietary
  • The copyright issue with iBooks Author is a killer
  • There are no social tools in the new products – no back and forth conversations, no shared authorship, etc.

I agree with all of it. They are, of course, correct in their assessment. Apple didn’t revolutionize education, the tools work only on iPads, the copyright rules are ridiculous, and there are no social tools.

But does that make the announcement a failure? Not in my mind.

The education tech/reform thought leaders don’t live in my world. While I wish what they wanted would happen, my world is years behind. Not only are the schools I see not ready to move away from textbooks, they aren’t ready to move to digital textbooks. They aren’t ready for the cloud. They don’t see the need or advantage of using technology. They see only the problems with digital: too expensive, too complicated, they’d have to teach differently, the kids would cheat, etc. These schools aren’t ready to move away from the teacher as the expert. They aren’t ready to allow other forms of assessment (to be fair, their hands are tied by NCLB.) They don’t see the need to teach students about digital literacy. They are afraid the students know more than they do.

(I will be flamed for criticizing teachers. I am not doing that. I am criticizing a system that doesn’t not empower teachers to look for new tools. A system that rewards test scores, not creativity. )

This is the world I see:

  • Kids aren’t allowed to use the $1.99 or free graphing calculator on their iPhone because they might text answers to friends. Instead, they have carry around an extra device – for $125.
  • NO CELLPHONES allowed in class. The teacher will take them for the day, or they are given to the office for a parent to pick up.
  • Teachers don’t see any use for technology tools for students, or they see technology as only a distraction.
  • The primary use of any technology in the classroom with students is for word processing and internet research.
  • Biggest advantage of giving iPads to students would be to free up the tech staff from managing servers – not because of the learning.
  • Students aren’t given accounts on Google apps because no one can think of a good use.
  • Honors  high school courses are taught without any use of technology. It’s all reading texts and taking multiple choice and essay tests.
  • The goal of the honors courses is to prep kids for the Advanced Placement tests and college – not to think critically about the content, access primary sources, collaborate with others, create projects, etc.
  • Can’t do a BYOD program because a few kids don’t have devices (instead of figuring out a way to get them devices.)
  • Teachers telling me they’ve taught this way for years and it’s worked. Why change?
  • Current events classes are taught by reading local papers in print with an “occasional” trip to the computer lab to read other papers.
  • Teachers not knowing how to connect a laptop to a wireless network.
  • Teachers only have Internet Explorer on their school owned laptops – no alternate browsers. (THIS ISN’T 2002! Give them more tools!!!!)

You see? This is the world I see every day as a parent. I spend my days reading the writings of thought leaders, talking to teachers all over the country (via social media, reading their blogs, etc.) about the innovative things they are doing with iPads, social media, BYOD, etc. Then, I go into my kids’ schools and to teacher trainings and see something totally different. It’s frustrating for me, and I know it’s frustrating for teachers and schools to have one more thing thrown at them.

That’s why I think the Apple announcement is a big deal.

  • Apple  – a mainstream, common name – promoting some of these technologies, that to the mainstream education world are new, different, game changing, is a very big deal.
  • Big name publishers FINALLY come out with a textbook that is starting – just barely- to take advantage of the digital medium is a big deal. It is a big deal to these districts that just can’t figure out how or why to move to a digital instructional model.
  • Making iTunes U freely available to K-12 schools is a big deal. This is a tool that many people know. It’s not some scary sounding software like Moodle that people who aren’t comfortable with technology find intimidating.
  •  The iBooks Authoring tool is a big deal. Yes, it’s only for iPad. Yes, it’s only available for Lion. No, it doesn’t have any social/collaborative authoring capabilities. YET. But, it is a great tool for teachers to tiptoe into. It’s familiar. It’s Apple. And students? The possibilities for students to create “books” as assignments and projects is huge.

I have the utmost respect  and admiration for the thought leaders in the education reform /ed tech area. I read their blogs daily.  I have learned so much from them. I am convinced that they are laying the path for where education has to go.

But, I would like to invite them to come to my world. I also have a ton of respect and admiration for the teachers I encounter daily. Their plates are already full, and we’re asking them to totally change how they do their job. Come talk to the teachers I talk to. Have them help the teachers I train learn how to find a wireless network. Teach them that there are different browsers  – the Internet Explorer isn’t  the internet. Model the new tools to the teachers and to the students. Show them positive uses of technology tools. Help them feel comfortable with a new look at education.

The real world is far behind. I’m hoping Apple’s announcement is a small step towards validating the new educational reality.

Yup, the Apple Announcement IS a Big Deal

I watched Apple’s announcement with great interest. The expectation was that this announcement would “revolutionize” education.

That’s a pretty tough expectation. Unrealistic. And Apple didn’t revolutionize education.

I’ve read plenty of criticism of the announcement.

Audrey Watters was totally unimpressed.  She wanted the revolution. She quoted Phil Schiller, “ It’s the same great content we’ve always had in textbooks, Phil Schiller said onstage today, just in a new digital format.” For Audrey, that’s the problem. She doesn’t want textbooks.  She has a compelling argument. She feels that primary source material is easily available now and teachers can compile it themselves.

In theory, I totally agree. In my first teaching job (7-8th grade social studies), there were no textbooks. I was allowed to create my own class, totally from scratch – including topic, sources, assignments, outcomes. It would’ve been a great opportunity – except I was 24 years old and had never taught before. I’d LOVE to have that opportunity now. I was in no way prepared for it then. We did end up with a pretty good class, somehow.

Most schools don’t run that way – wish they did. It would take more than a revolution in education to get states out of the business of selecting texts. It would take way more money to pay teachers fair pay for developing curriculum.

Beyond that, Audrey Watters and others complain that Apple’s products are proprietary – they work only on iPads. That the EULA is restrictive. That the “interactive” features are really only frosting, they are just the same type of teaching, just with bells and whistles. There is not social feature in any of the tools introduced.

All these things are true.

But I still think the announcement is a big deal. Why? Because it pushes mainstream digital publishers to recognize that digital texts are reality. It brings these ideas into everybody’s attention. Apple is much more of a household name than Inkling. It’ll take Apple to get school administrators, teachers, parents and students to take this seriously – even if they don’t have iPads.

Most schools aren’t anywhere near ready to abandon textbooks. Jumping to a digital textbook is enough of a revolution. For the schools that are lucky enough to already have iPads, this really is a great deal. It’s a great first step until the software and books mature.

The iBooks Author tool will be another step towards moving away from textbooks – it’ll let teachers (and students!) see that they can collect, curate and deliver content.

Things will evolve. It’s only a matter of time until Apple gets the pressure to have iBooks Author publish to other formats – or someone else will figure it out. The copyright issue will have to change. iTunes U will have to add some social features.

While this may not be a revolution, it’s a great first step!

Staying the Course

Sometimes I get frustrated as a parent. Not with my kids – but with the schools. I have spent the last year studying the impact of appropriate integration of technology in education. The results are overwhelmingly positive. Schools must move in that direction.

I try to talk with my kids’ schools. It is slow going. Obviously, they are the experts, and I certainly can’t jump in and tell them what to do. Yet, I also am responsible for my kids’ education and I have the right to speak up.

I think I’ve been respectful. I try to educate and inform. Yet, I feel like the schools really don’t want me involved. I see some movement, not much. Maybe I just want more action and faster. To me, it’s very obvious that incorporating the technology is a huge benefit, and I want it to happen now. Not at the school’s pace.

Saw this blog post today by The Tempered Radical. Basically, he’s frustrated with not having access to technology. Can’t say that I blame him. I do appreciate his comment about not criticizing his teaching when he has no access to technology.

I may try to change how I approach this. No longer will I be critical of them not using technology. I will ask how I can help them get technology and incorporate technology. I just ask their respect in return that when I ask about using technology in the classroom not to look at me like I’m crazy and stupid.

Creative Choices

For the last couple of days, my daughter and I have been weighing the good and bad points about taking an AP World History class. It seems like everywhere I turn, the signs are against it.

I guess it depends on your values and what you think matters. Whenever I ask the school, it’s all about getting kids ready for COLLEGE. OK, yes, that is valid. But truly, is that it? Is that all that high school is for? for COLLEGE? Are colleges really that myopic that they only want kids who do the traditional academic course? Is college admission and prep really all there is?

What about LIFE? Isn’t that more of a goal? What does the traditional AP type course really prepare you for? Reading heavy tomes of content and spitting it back on a test? Let me think how many times since college that I’ve taken a test. That would be ZERO. Never. Not once. How many times have I made a presentation? Many. How many times could I present information in ways besides a test? Always.

Which brings me to this great video about creativity that I ran across today. I’m just not sure rushing through a ton of content to spit it back is worth it. Take more time. Be creative. That will likely take you further.

Choices

Next week, my daughter’s high school is hosting a Curriculum Night to give parents a chance to talk to teachers about course options.

I’d like to check with the Social Studies teachers. Next year, my daughter will be taking World History. Having spent the last year researching technology options in education, especially social studies education, I’m hoping to see some great tools being used. I’m concerned, however, that I’m going to see the big ole Holt Reinhart Winston (or other publisher) textbook.

One topic I’m sure (I hope) will be ancient Rome. For today’s learners, I’m wondering which is more effective: pages of text with flat images, or using at something like the Virtual History Roma app that reconstructs ancient buildings in 3D, shows Roman armor on a virtual model, integrates paintings that can be zoomed in tightly, etc.

Take a peek. You tell me your choice. I know mine.

Social Media = Learning?

Not so fast. Fun infographic from Edudemic shows how social media is integrated in the lives of kids ages 12-17. But – social media is not so integrated into their education.

Students like Social Media

How much do students like social media?

The full blog post and the infographic talk a bit about why schools don’t use social media: concerns about bullying, cheating, distraction, etc.

These are all valid concerns. But, I’m betting these things all go on anyway – with or without the technology/social media. Aren’t we better off teaching kids using these tools and thus teaching them appropriate boundaries and uses?

Or, should we continue along this road of ignoring the big elephant in the room, and thus not showing kids how to deal with its implications?

 

Parent Participation

As a parent, not a teacher or administrator, I often find myself in an awkward position when advocating for technology use in the schools. After all, I’m not the one in the classroom managing the kids. I’m not the one planning the lessons, having to meet standards, and having to change how to do a job I’ve been doing successfully for years.

I am, however, a partner in my children’s education. Our family makes choices on how we use technology at home. Discussions about digital literacy and responsibility are not uncommon. I’ve been advocating for technology use at school for years, although I didn’t really know it. It started with pushing for acceptance of audio books – and that came from helping kids learn the way they learn best, and not forcing one system on them.

Teaching Generation Text

Teaching Generation Text

A recent blog post by teacher and author Lisa Nielsen lists 12 was kids can use cell phones for learning. She would know – she (and Willyn Web) just published a book, Teaching Generation Text: Using Cell Phones to Enhance Learning. 

 

However, the sentence that jumped out at me from this post is one of the rare mentions of the role of parents in integrating technology in schools:

Parents may need to take the lead in allowing their children to use their phones for learning and in educating their teachers and administrators of the value in working toward acceptable use policies.

Wow! That’s the first real encouragement I’ve seen of including parents in the conversation that I’ve seen in the online conversations. Parents aren’t usually mentioned, and if they are, it’s the teachers/administration trying to convince parents that it’s ok to use the tools.

Much of my motivation to get involved came from a short conversation I had with a superintendant of a small district in a rural part of the state. In his short talk at a conference, he talked about how he has successfully worked with the teachers in his schools, and about how essential the parents were in the process. I found him later and asked his advice about being involved. I didn’t want to be seen as an annoyance or to be telling the schools what to do. He told me in no uncertain terms to speak up, to be involved and to keep the conversation going. So I am.

The blog post led me to the authors’ website, www.TeachingGenerationText.com. Right there, on the home page, is a great sentence:

This site is brought you you by Lisa Nielsen and Willyn Webb in an effort to help teachers, parents, and administrators stop fighting and start working with students to use the tools they own and love for learning.

What a great concept, and one I hope we can see moving forward. Include parents (and students!!!) in the conversation and see where it leads.

Teach Them Wisely

A perfect teaching moment fell into my lap last week. Long story short, my son’s cell phone (which is PROHIBITED at school during school hours) was grabbed from his hand when he went to text me that he didn’t need to stay after school, as we had planned. The other student had asked my son for his phone number, and my son wisely told him no. The kid grabbed my son’s phone and called his own phone, thereby getting my son’s phone number.

An hour later, my son received a text from “Susie,” one of his good friends. My son knew that Susie didn’t have a phone or texting, so he was suspicious.  (YES! My casual conversations about online safety, etc., have paid off!) He asked the texter  couple of questions, and the answers got more unlikely (spelling/grammar mistakes he knew Susie wouldn’t do, etc.) So he shut off the phone.  He was pretty upset and felt “icky.”

That was about it, but he was scared. He made all the right choices, and I told him that. My 14-year-old daughter was in the car, so we all had a good conversation about etiquette, safety, bullying, etc. We did some detective work (duh, recent calls, text number, not hard) and suspect that the student who grabbed the phone gave my son’s number to another student who did the texting. We can’t prove anything, of course, but what to do?

I am going to contact the principal. It isn’t necessarily to take any action, but to illustrate a point. I expect I’ll be told that my son should not have the phone at school. This is why schools can no longer keep their heads in the sand about this! Students must be taught appropriate behavior and expectations. The phones are there, and they are used outside of school. The phone isn’t the point – it’s the behavior. Stealing another student’s property and pretending to be someone else are NOT acceptable behaviors.

Today, I ran across a great blog post on a similar topic, How we Fail Young Students with Facebook by @pernilleripp. Basically, she’s saying that by not teaching kids about using the tools (Facebook, texting, etc) they are going on there with no instruction. They are going online, whether they are supposed to or not.

Kids that are not being taught how to use the site safely, because we choose to pretend they are not signing up.

My kids get a great deal of education about online saftey, etc., because of my work. My son handled the texting incident with maturity and he made the right decisions. However, I know many families where kids are just forbidden to go on YouTube, or even have an iPod because they might find something. Parents don’t know how to teach kids internet safety, so it’s just forbidden.

This might work with some kids, but definitely not all. This is why I lean towards having a partnership with schools and families in teaching these skills. Teachers and parents will have to learn the skills – this is new territory for many of them.

For the record, I do following Facebook’s age restrictions. My daughter was 13, my son will be 13 when he gets a Facebook page. Does that mean we don’t talk about it? Nope. I’m hoping he’ll be much better prepared when he does get a Facebook page. And my daughter? I still know her password, and will until she’s 16.